Persona: Scarred Memories (Volume 1: Sin)
by TiamatZX
Summary: A transfer student from the US begins his last year of school in Japan, unaware of the fate that awaits him. It's there that he will find himself facing a parallel world, deadly creatures, & his own twisted destiny, aided only by his fellow classmates & the power that dwells within him. Rated M for violence & language. OCs w/cameos. The first of 3 "volumes". Feedback appreciated.
1. Prologue: A Guest's Welcome

**A/N:** Hello, everyone. My name is Adam, and I was hoping to share this story that I've been brainstorming for a long time. It's a story set within the Persona universe, with heavy connections to both Persona 1 and Persona 2, most notably Innocent Sin, but it takes place within the year 2013 between the events of Persona 4 and Persona 5. This one will pretty much span the entire year of the main character's senior year at a Japanese high school, where things beyond his control will alter his life and those around him forever. As for how it's structured, I'm kinda also blending in the method by how P3 and P4 were structured in terms of time blocks and location changes.

Also, this story is going to be split into about three volumes. And yes, I did post this story before but I'm revising it from the beginning.

That being said, please enjoy the prologue of Volume 1 of "Scarred Memories".

* * *

 **Prologue: A Guest's Welcome**

* * *

 **Date and Time Unknown /** **Location Unknown**

* * *

 ** _My name is Daniel Spencer._**

 ** _I'm a high school student, and I'm originally from the United States. However, due to circumstances, I no longer live there._**

 ** _But that's not the story I wish to tell. I want to tell you the story of when my life had changed in a way I never expected. The question you're probably wondering is, "How does it begin?"_**

 ** _In reality, the more accurate question would be, "When does my story intertwine with those of others?"_**

 ** _That question I can answer. The thing is... are you sure you want to know? You might find it unbelievable, even impossible, to believe. But trust me, it really happened to me and those around me._**

 ** _I might as well begin at a rather fitting point. Namely, the day I arrived in a strange room..._**

* * *

Darkness.

All around me, there was darkness. It was so thick I wouldn't have been able to see my own hand in front of my face even if I tried. Despite this darkness, I felt calm even in my half-asleep state, my eyes closed.

And then, I heard the sound of waves. It was like I was in the middle of a vast sea. It felt so... tranquil, so perfect. I always loved the sea. It would always put me at ease.

And as I listened to the sound of the waves, it was then that I realized something. I was also hearing voices. Soft, quiet voices. It wasn't creepy or anything. But rather, it was like the sea: calming. I wondered whether I was dreaming... or I was dead and in the afterlife.

That last thought, however, was what compelled me to wake up. When I finally opened my eyes, what I saw was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

I was inside what looked like one of those fancy dining halls on a cruise ship, only the room was all colored blue. Or rather... it was all colored "velvet". And much like your usual dining hall, it had an air of regality to it. And sure enough, I noticed that I was sitting at a dining table. Only, there were no utensils, napkins, or even plates.

And I wasn't alone. An old man with an impossibly long nose and bulging eyes simply stared at me from across the table. Standing at his side was a beautiful woman with silver-blonde hair and a velvet dress. What intrigued me about her were the eyes behind her thinly-framed glasses. They were a golden color.

 _That's rather... creepy._

"Oh... It seems that you've finally awakened..."

I turned my head to the source of the voice and I realized that the man was addressing me. So I opened my mouth to respond, with words that would have been very obvious for anyone to say in a situation like this.

"W-Where am I?" I asked with a shaky voice.

Smiling, the old man addressed me again in a tone that belied his appearance. It was actually calm and dignified. "Welcome to the Velvet Room..."

Taking a deep breath to settle my nerves, and feeling calmer due to the old man's gentlemanly countenance, my thoughts were finally coming to focus again. Turns out that I definitely didn't recognize where I was. Last I recalled, I was on a plane to Japan because I had applied for citizenship over there some time ago. I was also planning on finishing my high school life over there.

See, I was a high school senior. And the place I was transferring to was said to be quite awesome. The place was Kanetsugu Academy in Shinjima City. The academy was split between the junior high and senior high branches, the former being for grades 7 to 9.

Obviously, I was transferring to the senior high branch, in grade 12. I was to be a third-year student. To everyone else, it would be weird for a student like me to transfer when I was only a few months away from graduation. Even so, I had my reasons.

But that is a story for later.

The old man noticed my growing nervousness and spoke to me again, the woman standing by his side still.

"This is quite interesting. A guest from a foreign land. Not like the previous guests I've seen..."

"Huh? What's going on?" I questioned, still feeling a little out of it. The old man continued to stare at me, his hands folded and beneath his impossibly long nose.

"I see you have many questions. Unfortunately, I cannot give you as many answers. Our guests should be able to find the answers on their own."

In other words, I knew nothing that could help me understand where I was even more than when I woke up. Not exactly the most helpful when it came to trying to understand what was happening around me.

"Now tell me, what is your name?" the old man asked, eyeing me intently.

Considering that I was basically asked to introduce myself, the gentleman in me obliged. And so, I spoke my name as I nodded to him as a sign of affirmation.

"...Daniel Spencer."

The old man nodded, accepting my answer and my introduction. "Welcome to the Velvet Room, Mr. Spencer. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

"Um... it's nice to meet you, too," I replied, returning the nod. It was then that the old man, Igor, motioned towards the young girl next to him.

"Ah, I should introduce my assistant to you. This is Rosemary. She's new to this place, and thus her awareness of the world around her is... lacking."

"Oh, um... Hello, I'm Rosemary. Pleased to meet you," she said with a rather jittery tone. Rosemary had seemed to be nervous. Also, there was something about her that felt... off. Then again, this whole situation felt off. I wasn't sure if it'd be even more off than it was at that moment.

"It's nice to meet you both," I replied as I gave a nod of affirmation. At that, Rosemary was looking into my eyes, curious.

 _Why is she looking at me? Is there something on my face?_

"Um, Master? Are you certain about this? He seems so... misguided and lost."

 _I'm not sure whether or not I should feel insulted by that..._

Igor was chuckling as he spoke to his assistant, "I am positive. You need not worry."

It was then that Rosemary and Igor both looked at me, quite curious about how I would react to all this. It was then that I remembered what happened earlier.

"So why am I here? If I recall, I was on a plane to Japan..."

"Right now, you are currently in a dream," Igor explained. "I merely summoned you here from within your dream."

"Summoned from within my dream?" I asked in utter disbelief. The entire notion sounded rather ridiculous and stupid. This was clearly one hell of a dream. And yet it felt so... real, so I had no reason to doubt this feeling. But even so, I wasn't sure what the hell they were talking about. And to be frank, I didn't think anyone would blame me if they saw how skeptical I was.

Rosemary had noticed the look of disbelief on my face as she spoke up. "It's not as complicated as you think, Mr. Spencer. We who reside in this room have this ability. You see, we're here to act as your guides on your journey."

"When you arrive at your destination, you will come across a great misfortune," Igor added. "And thus, you must rise up to the challenge and overcome that misfortune."

I was even more confused than when I first woke up. Nothing that they were saying made any form of sense. "...A misfortune?"

"You will see for yourself, Mr. Spencer," Igor answered. "For now, we will summon you here again when the time is right. When that time comes, you will have already signed the 'contract'."

More questions and still no answers... "I don't understand. You're not making any sense at all."

"You will understand in time, dear guest. Have faith," Rosemary said.

I rolled my eyes at that. "You're not exactly filling me with confidence."

"You will see, Mr. Spencer. You will see. Until we meet again, farewell," said Igor as a sign of saying that our meeting was over.

At that, my vision blurred, and I fell unconscious again. I was unsure as to whether I would end up waking up again on the plane this time. Instead, all I did was close my eyes and go back to sleep.

* * *

 ** _That's how my story begins._**

 ** _Strange, is it not? Like I said, it may be hard to believe._**

 ** _But I'm not the only one with a story to tell._**

 ** _There are others like me with a story. Others who also had to deal with this "misfortune"._**

 ** _It's only fair that their story be heard as well..._**

* * *

 **Sunday, April 7, 2013 – Early Morning /** **Somewhere in Shinjima City, Japan**

* * *

 ** _My name is Hinata Suzuki. I'm a high school student living in the city of Shinjima in Japan. In fact, it's my second year of school now. I'm sixteen years old and, to most people, I don't really look all that extraordinary. Well, little do they know that I'm far more intelligent than I appear._**

 ** _I live in this dorm meant for "special students". And by "special", I mean those with special needs such as not having a home to go to before and after classes. And obviously, I'm one of those students._**

 ** _But that is another story altogether..._**

 ** _Now, you're probably wondering, "How did a girl like me get into a situation like the one I'm going to tell you about?"_**

 ** _Well, better pull up a chair or something and strap in. It all began much like any other day..._**

* * *

I awoke to a beautiful Sunday morning in my dormitory room on the 3rd floor. The sun crept through the blinds, the warm glow illuminating my face as I stood up to stretch. I had a rather strong feeling that today was going to be quite a good one.

 _That was quite a nice sleep. Just the thing I needed after such a tiring workout last night._

I soon let out a yawn as I rubbed my still-sleepy eyes. I checked the clock and it showed that the time was only 6:00 AM. A rather early time to wake up for a Sunday morning.

Feeling sufficiently stretched, I walked to the window and pulled down the cord, lifting the blinds up and exposing the sun to my field of vision. I found myself temporarily blinded as I accidentally stared in its direction, but I was still smiles as I then cracked the window open and leaned against the windowsill, taking in the fresh spring air. Outside, the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, the petals scattering in the soft wind.

"Good morning, world. Today's going to be another mew-tiful day," I said to myself out loud. I had to giggle a little; my old habits of inserting cat puns into my speech were showing again. "I'm still a child at heart, despite being 16 now. Such is my life, I guess."

Leaning back away from the window and closing the blinds again, I reached for my slippers that were lying beside my bed and put them on, feeling how soft they were. I changed out of my pajamas and underwear as I reached into my closet for my usual pink bathrobe because I really needed a good shower. After all, my dorm mates and I were going to have a new resident living here today. And just in time, because the school year was officially beginning tomorrow. My second year as a senior high student, at grade 11. His grade, on the other hand, was grade 12.

 _His flight should be landing later this afternoon. I should get ready just in case._

As I left my room and headed to the bathroom, I was honestly surprised at how early I was compared to the other two residents here. There were no sounds coming from my senpai's room, and the only other resident here hadn't made any noise either.

"They must still be asleep. Oh well, early cat gets the birdie."

As I muttered that to myself, I soon reached the bathroom, and once I stepped inside, I undressed myself and started up the water. As soon as I stepped inside the shower, I instantly felt the temperature and shivered, jumping back out.

 _Brrr! It's cold! I still can't believe they haven't fixed the damn water problem! Why is it that the second floor bathroom has perfectly warm water while the third floor has us practically bathing in the fucking Arctic?!_

I was definitely not fond of taking cold showers, but there was no other choice than to just deal with it. It was better than showing up dirty and smelling bad in front of our upcoming resident, and I really wanted to make a good impression for him.

"I can always think of this as endurance training," I said out loud, trying to assure myself that the problem wasn't that much. Still shivering, I braced myself and simply allowed myself to get drenched in really cold water. A good fifteen minutes later, I turned the water off. And as I stepped out of the shower, I let out a sneeze.

" **ACHOO!** Oh, great. I'm gonna catch a cold. **ACHOO!** "

Grabbing my bathrobe, I quickly tied it closed as I let out yet another sneeze. I really needed to get into some warm clothes as soon as possible.

Doing my best to dry off and brush my hair in front of the bathroom mirror, my thoughts began to wander as to who our new resident was. Apparently, he was a transfer student from the United States who decided to come here. I really wondered what would make him want to leave his own country, but then I felt like I was overthinking things that were really none of my business.

 _The guy did look cute according to his photograph, though._

I found myself blushing slightly. Fortunately, no one else was around to witness it. I calmed myself down, feeling silly for thinking about some guy that I hadn't even met yet. I wasn't even sure as to what kind of person he was. For all I knew, he'd be some athletic prodigy or an academic genius. For all I knew, he'd just be ordinary. I honestly didn't have any basis to go on, except that I'd no doubt find out once his plane landed later today.

Putting the brush down, I reached into the bathrobe pocket for my familiar red bands, and then styled my hair into my usual twintail style. I soon tightened the knot that held the robe together as I put on my slippers and headed back to my room to find some proper clothes.

As I stepped back into my room, I checked my smartphone and a text message was in my inbox. I unlocked the phone and checked what the message was.

It was a text from my cousin.

 **To: Hinata Suzuki**

 **From: Sakura Miyazaki**

 **Subject: Good Morning**

 **I heard from big brother that you're going to have a new student live at your dorm today. You should tell me all about him once you get to know him. After all, you're always in need of wanting to make new friends.**

 **Well, I better go make something for breakfast. I'll see you at school tomorrow.**

 **Sa-chan**

Smiling, I thumbed my reply to Sa-chan's text, replying that I would tell her about our new resident once I got the chance. Then, as soon as the message was sent, I set about to go find an outfit to wear. Today was definitely going to be a very interesting and productive day. I could feel it.

* * *

 **To Be Continued in "Chapter 1: Arrival"**


	2. Chapter 1: Arrival

**A/N:** All right, here we go with the first chapter of the story. It's in this chapter that Daniel meets his first new friends and gets ready to adjust to life in an unfamiliar city in an unfamiliar country.

Oh, and from here on out, each chapter section will be preceded by an indicator of whose POV is which.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Arrival**

* * *

 **Sunday, April 7, 2013 – Daytime / Airline 2187**

* * *

 **Daniel's POV**

* * *

 ** _[Announcement Tone]_**

 _"_ _Attention, passengers. We will be arriving at our destination Shinjima City shortly. Please be sure to take your belongings with you before you disembark. Thank you and we hope you enjoyed flying our airline."_

The sudden announcement that rang out woke me up from the strange dream I just had. I was quite rattled and dazed, unaware of my immediate surroundings. After a while, I calmed myself down and realized where I was. I was onboard the very plane I was taking to go to my new home in Japan. Sighing, I put my right hand to my forehead, as if I had a headache, and straightened myself in my seat.

 _Man, how long was I out? That was quite a long flight._

I leaned back against my seat, rubbing my tired eyes with the same hand I placed there earlier, the sunglasses I was previously wearing in my left. I soon checked my watch and, taking the time zone difference into account, I was out for about nine hours.

 _Nine hours unconscious, and it's only now that I wake up? Dammit, I could've gotten a few more pages done in the book I was reading the other day. Oh well, this whole flight was worth it. After all, to actually experience something new in my life, even if it is still school... That's not something that happens every day._

 _But even so... what the hell was that dream about? What the hell did they mean by "misfortunes" and a "contract"? Who were those people, anyway. And how was everything that transpired during that dream even relevant to my new life here?_

After some more thinking, I sighed again and chose to dismiss it as just a freaky dream. A dream that I felt like would eventually be forgotten, brought on by tiredness and stress from the past few months, not to mention making absolutely no fucking sense.

 _Still, for a dream it definitely felt real. Seriously, what the hell happened to me to dream about all of that? What the hell is going on here? Was it some sort of premonition? Is something really going to happen?_

 _...Ah, fuck it. It's not worth dwelling on. Too much of a headache to figure out. That, and it's utterly ridiculous. The plane's about to land, anyway. It's time to disembark and finish this sojourn to my new home._

Shaking my head as if to remove those thoughts from my mind, I put on my sunglasses again as I looked out the window and saw the distant city ahead of us, bathed in the orange light of the setting sun. It was huge, and definitely the kind of big city that I was already used to back where I came from.

 _"_ _My new home..." So weird for me to call it that, being so far away from America. Then again, nothing left for me back there worth sticking around for._

 _Time to look forward towards the future, no matter where it may take me._

And so we waited, and as soon as I felt the landing gear hit the runway, I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding. I must have looked nervous to the other passengers.

Soon after, the plane began to slow as we approached the departure gate. It was finally happening. Here I was, in Japan. And it was now up to me to forge a new path for myself.

 ** _If I may be honest, I was completely unaware at the time, but that moment was the true beginning of it all._**

 ** _The moment I would step off that plane, and step onto Japanese soil, that was when my "journey" had officially begun..._**

 ** _A "journey" that would change my life forever..._**

* * *

 **Sunday, April 7, 2013 – Daytime / Kanetsugu Dormitory**

* * *

 **Hinata's POV**

* * *

After a rather filling dinner, I excused myself from the table in the dining room and stepped back into my room to take a load off. Curious as to what was going on in the city today, I turned on the TV in my room and tuned in to the 6:00 PM news broadcast. I was greeted by the familiar jingle and the image of the newscaster at her desk, a woman I had met previously back in junior high who used to be a teacher of mine.

 _"_ _Good evening. I'm Reiko Niijima. Welcome to the 6:00 news. Our top story today: police are searching for the whereabouts of two more Shinjima residents. Kento Nishimura, age 35, and Seiko Sakaguchi, age 38, disappeared without a trace according to their friends and neighbors. Evidently, the couple were living together and were planning to have their marriage occur next week Sunday, but the former never made it to his own bachelor party and the latter was absent from her usual job in the shopping arcade."_

 _"_ _Police officials are considering the possibility that they became the newest targets in the recent incident that is still occurring here in the city that has been happening for the past few years. We've been led to believe that the police investigation is still ongoing, but as of yet, no new evidence has turned up to explain how they suddenly vanished from the city..."_

I turned the TV off, feeling very disturbed at the report that Niijima-sensei had just given. The incident she was referring to was a string of people disappearing and being found deceased a few days later, an incident that had been happening for at least 5 years now. And every day that the case went unsolved, it was another day where I was always looking over my shoulder, wondering if I was going to be one of those victims.

 _What if I do end up one, though?_

Violently shaking my head at such a dreary thought, I pulled down the cord and raised the blinds again. I then opened the window, staring out into the cityscape of Shinjima at sunset. The soft wind was beginning to die down a bit more and the orange sky was quite beautiful and the sun wasn't as blinding as it was this morning. Aside from the unsolved incidents, it was a really peaceful city to live in.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something strange. Namely, a shimmering golden butterfly resting on the windowsill next to me. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before in my life. And just as quickly as I saw it, it started flying away. Following where it went, in the distance, I could see a plane approaching the city.

"Must be our new resident... Wait a minute..."

I checked my watch again, and sure enough it was about 6:05.

 _Shit! We're supposed to be at the airport already! If we hurry, we might still be there to pick him up._

Panicking a little, I bolted out the door and headed downstairs, taking the steps two at a time. I couldn't believe how stupid I was for managing to forget something so important. I prided myself on having such a good memory, and having this happen, it was enough to make me cringe. I didn't want to look like someone who would fit the stereotype of a cute girl who didn't know jack shit about anything at school, caring more about beauty than books. As a matter of fact, I was quite smart for my age and just as strong too.

 _Anyone tries to take advantage of me, they're going to be in for a rude awakening. If they wake up in the first place, that is._

As I descended and made my way to the ground floor of the dorm, I noticed a familiar face already approaching in my direction from the bottom of the stairs. He was my cousin, Sa-chan's big brother, and my senpai at school. His name was Daisuke Miyazaki.

"Hinaki! I was just about to get you," Daisuke called out, seeming a little worried for my tardiness. I closed the distance and gave him a brief hug, scratching the back of my head in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Daisuke. I just noticed the time and so I came running. Have you seen Kimiko-senpai?"

Kimiko Yamaoka, another third-year student and a Student Council representative, was the only other resident here. She lived on the 3rd floor just as I did, and she was actually older than both of us.

"I think she went outside a while ago," he replied. "Shall we go get her and catch a bus?"

I gave a nod. "Let's do that."

And so we headed out the door, and we were greeted with the cool spring air, the temperature starting to grow colder due to the sun about to set. And as we looked around, we could see the familiar green turtleneck and blonde hair of Kimiko Yamaoka seeing someone walk off, as if she was just finishing a conversation with someone.

"Senpai!" I called out to her. She then turned around, her glasses framing her face. Kimiko-senpai was actually of mixed lineage, having a Japanese mother and a father from England. She even had the nice advantage of being bilingual as she on her off-time started to give me English lessons over the course of spring break, except with limited success on my part much to my chagrin.

"Oh, hello Hina. And you as well, Daisuke. I see you're both ready to go," she replied, her words thick with her English accent.

"We are, Kimiko. We should hurry if we want to catch him before he gets lost," Daisuke told her.

She nodded, and we all found a bus stop to wait at. While we waited, I took a look around the area. I could see the shopping arcade in the distance as well as plenty of people walking down its main street. Our dorm was nestled deep in the uptown area, quite a distance away from the academy. Also somewhere in the outskirts of the area was where I was living until about a year ago: my father's dojo.

 _...I always hate having to pass by it. I never want to deal with him again._

A few moments later, the bus arrived at our location. As we boarded the bus and it took off for the airport, I looked out the window. The plane was no longer visible, most likely having landed already. I pulled out the picture of our upcoming resident, making sure that I would know his face. Dark-brown hair, blue eyes, Caucasian. Definitely an American transfer student.

 _I do hope we all get along with him._

The bus soon approached the airport a few minutes later. We all stepped off and entered the lobby, ready to welcome our new schoolmate, Daniel Spencer, to Japan.

* * *

 **Sunday, April 7, 2013 – Daytime / Airport Lobby**

* * *

 **Daniel's POV**

* * *

After we landed, I stepped off the plane, ending up at the main lobby of the airport. Adjusting the straps of the backpack I was wearing and unzipping the front of my hoodie, I made my way to the entrance that lead outside.

"Welcome to Shinjima Airport!" the PA announced throughout the building. "We hope you have safe travels from this place to the next."

It felt off at first, hearing another language as if it was still in my native tongue. Even so, I had taken a lot of Japanese courses, so the language itself was like second-nature to me now.

 _Good thing I excelled in Japanese. Otherwise I wouldn't even be here._

As I headed to the chairs near the entrance meant for people waiting for their rides, I noticed a newspaper article on the table. The headline itself was rather laughable.

 _"_ _Monsters Sighted At Night!"?_

 _Do they really believe in that stuff? That's just ridiculous. There is no such thing as monsters. No such thing at all. I mean, seriously. That's like saying that Santa Claus exists!_

Shaking my head in disbelief, I sat down and started reading a book I brought with me. It was a rather interesting Japanese storybook that I imported, a story about a pink alligator who lived in the forest. I'd heard that the story itself was rather sad, and that the author himself was sad as well.

I was in the middle of reading the section I left off on – a chapter where a friend that the alligator made, a bird that couldn't fly, was napping in his mouth – when I noticed a young man my age trying to get my attention. From a distance, he was wearing a black leather jacket, brown shirt, and denim jeans. He also wore dark-rimmed glasses.

"Daniel Spencer?" the young man asked.

"Yeah, that's me," I responded as I stood up and approached the guy. He definitely seemed to be the friendly type. "I assume you're here on behalf of the academy?"

"That's correct," the young man answered. "I have to say, your Japanese isn't bad at all. Welcome to our country. We were asked to greet you and to represent your new school."

"Good to be here," I replied as I stretched out my hand for a handshake, which he accepted graciously. They were fellow students, after all. And by "they", I mean that the guy wasn't alone. There were also two cute girls with him as well. One of them was a blonde who wore glasses and was quite proper, if a bit withdrawn. The other was supposedly a year younger than me with red hair and she was quite energetic.

"Hi there, Spencer-senpai!" the younger of the two said. I had to smile at that. She sounded so adorable for someone as old as her.

 _This is quite the start to my first day in Japan. I just got here, and not ten minutes in, I've made some new friends already._

"All right then," the girl with glasses said, her Japanese sounding different due to her accent, "shall we head out of here?"

"You're right. Come on, let's go," said the young man as the four of us left the airport. Upon exiting, the young man turned around. It was then that we all realized something. They knew my name, but I didn't know theirs.

"Oh yeah, we should introduce ourselves," he said as he gave a bow. "I'm Daisuke Miyazaki, a third-year at Kanetsugu Academy Senior High. That basically means we're in the same grade. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Miyazaki."

Overall, Miyazaki seemed to be a pretty cool guy, and very intelligent at that. I was actually rather surprised at how tough he looked despite being so smart. He was kind of a blend of brains and brawn.

"Good to formally meet you, Spencer-kun," the older of the girls said as she bowed to me herself. She was wearing a green turtleneck and black skirt with brown stockings in addition to her short blonde hair and her glasses framing her blue eyes. She definitely seemed to be the intellectual type.

"This is Kimiko Yamaoka, another third-year," said Miyazaki as he introduced us. "She's actually half British on her father's side."

"Oh, I see," I replied. "I was wondering why she was sounding different, as well as her hair and eyes."

"That's right. She's also gonna be in the school's student council this year. I feel sorry for her to have so much responsibility."

I could easily sense the sarcasm in his voice. Even Yamaoka rolled her eyes at that.

"Well, it _is_ an important occupation, Daisuke. ...Not like you ever asked to be a member. You're all about sticking to your books."

Miyazaki had a laugh at his own expense. "Fair enough. Then again, I got my own things to worry about."

"True."

Yamaoka then turned back to me and said, "Yes, my name is Kimiko Yamaoka. Again, it's a pleasure to meet you. I do hope we get along as schoolmates."

I smiled as I shook her hand. Yamaoka definitely struck me as someone who was passionate about her school life as well as school itself. And she was in the student council at school this year, so I made a mental note to watch my step around her.

And based on their treatment of each other, I assumed that she and Miyazaki had known each other for a long time. That was evident because of them referring to each other on a first name basis. Then again, I was like that, too... back in America, that is. I kept telling myself that I had to get used to not doing that to everyone I met.

"...What about me? Don't I get a chance to introduce myself?"

Finally, there was the younger of the two girls as she spoke up. She was much tinier than Yamaoka, about as tall as a junior high student, and was wearing her relatively long reddish-brown hair in twintails. She was also wearing a red sweater and a long black skirt. She was really cute for someone so tiny.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Miyazaki said in a joking manner. "This is Hinata Suzuki, a second-year. She's actually smarter than she looks, believe it or not."

Suzuki frowned heavily at that. "That's not funny, Daisuke!"

"Well, it's the truth. I mean, didn't you ace your final exams last year and advance? I mean, obviously you did."

"Not funny," she fumed. "But... I'll overlook it."

At first glance, Suzuki gave off an air of being headstrong and cheerful yet easily angered, with a fiery disposition to match. But by the apologetic look on her face after shouting, I could tell that she would never mean anything bad.

 _So she's my kohai, huh? Even so, she's definitely not one to be underestimated._

All in all, they all seemed very friendly. And it seemed that they were already familiar with each other. They probably all knew each other since the start of junior high or something.

What was also interesting was that Miyazaki and Suzuki were on first name basis. I wondered what kind of relationship _they_ had.

"It's nice to meet all of you," I said to all three of them as I bowed. "I hope we all get along."

"I hope we all get along as well," Suzuki said.

"I agree," said Yamaoka.

"Although I gotta admit something," Suzuki continued. "It's awesome to have a senpai from another country, even if it _is_ America."

Miyazaki snapped at her. "Hinaki! You know better than to say those things, especially since you never even left this country!"

I raised an eyebrow. "'Hinaki'...?"

"It's a nickname I gave her."

"Oh, I see. Anyway, don't worry about what she said earlier. Truth be told, there's nothing left for me back there anyway. I felt like I needed a fresh start in my life, so thus why I moved out here."

There was more to it than that, but now wasn't the time. After all, I'd just met them. And fortunately, they didn't press the issue.

"Good to know," Miyazaki said.

"Well then," Yamaoka spoke as she raised her arm, carrying her book bag over her shoulder, "why don't we head to our dorm? It's getting late. And don't worry about your belongings. They've already been shipped to us."

"Thanks."

We then decided to head to our dorm together by boarding the bus back to the city. It was getting dark, after all.

The dorm we were headed to, according to Yamaoka, was a co-ed dorm meant only for select students. Students with... special needs. And by "special needs", she meant needs such as an actual home for those without one.

I briefly wondered if any of these three students had such needs.

...In fact, I knew I did.

* * *

 **Sunday, April 7, 2013 – Evening / Dormitory**

* * *

 **Daniel's POV**

* * *

We left the airport before curfew, the streetlights around us blinking to life. On the ride to the dorm, the sunset was quite beautiful. People continued to walk the streets as we drove on past them, seemingly content with their lives in this city. I briefly wondered how I would fare living here from now on.

"Quite a departure from where you used to live, isn't it?"

The sound of Suzuki's voice addressing me brought me out of my reverie.

"Uh, yeah. It's, uh, still a little overwhelming, if I may be honest," I replied. "I mean, until now I never even left America. I feel so out of place, yet I want to make an honest effort to adjust to life here."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Senpai," Suzuki replied. "Just be mindful of our customs and you won't have any trouble."

I nodded towards her just as we arrived at the building. We soon stepped off and found ourselves at the front doors of Kanetsugu Dormitory, the building where we would all be living for the next year. As we got off the bus, I decided to join the others inside.

Upon opening the doors and taking in the indoor scenery of the living room – a nice, comfy couch and a coffee table with a widescreen TV and a Blu-Ray player plugged in – Miyazaki let out a sigh.

"Feels good to be back here, even if it is only for one more year..."

"I'm just glad I moved here in the first place, Daisuke," said Suzuki as she took the time to stretch her arms over her head.

Miyazaki raised an eyebrow. "Oh, are you still having problems at home?"

Suzuki paused before replying. "...You could say that. I'd rather not talk about it right now."

From the sound of her voice, she was definitely looking uncomfortable about Miyazaki's question.

"I-I'm gonna head upstairs and get ready for school tomorrow." She then headed upstairs after that statement.

 _I guess she qualifies as having one of those "special needs". Maybe her parents had a divorce and she wanted to move away..._

"I better go too," Yamaoka piped up as she headed to the stairs at the far end. "Don't want to be late for the welcoming ceremony."

As she left, I briefly wondered what Yamaoka's "special needs" were for a moment before dropping the thought. It wasn't any of my business. Much like how my needs weren't theirs... for the moment.

"Well, I might as well show you your room. Follow me," Miyazaki said as I followed him to the second floor of the dorm. Then we stopped at the door to the right at the end of the hall.

"Here you go: Room 204. I'm in Room 202, right next door. I know the time zone is radically different from the United States, so hopefully you won't be too disoriented."

"I'll keep that in mind," I said flatly.

"Heh-heh... Fair enough, Danny," he replied. He paused for a moment before saying, "Uh, you don't mind if I call you that, right?"

"Uh..."

 _I haven't heard that nickname in a while. Not since I transferred. The only other person to call me that was..._

 ** _"_** ** _Danny! Wait!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _...Olivia."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Danny... Please, talk to me."_**

 ** _"_** ** _...Why? You wouldn't understand what I went through..."_**

 ** _"_** ** _But, Danny... Are you really going to ignore me? I'm trying to understand."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Don't give me that shit! You claim to understand what I went through, but you don't! Don't even_** **think** ** _that you know what it was like!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _But–"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Just... leave me alone... And don't call me 'Danny' ever again!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _But...!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm leaving. Don't follow me!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Wait! Danny!"_**

 _...No, it doesn't matter anymore. Besides, it's getting really late. I might as well humor him._

"Go right ahead."

"All right then, I'll see ya in the morning, Danny. Good night."

"...Night."

With that, I headed into my room as Miyazaki went inside his.

* * *

 **Sunday, April 7, 2013 – Late Night / Hinata's Room**

* * *

 **Hinata's POV**

* * *

As soon as I made it to my room, I took the opportunity to stretch a bit due to how late it was. I felt relieved that despite the late start, we were able to pick up Spencer-senpai and bring him to the dorm. And as I figured, he looked quite normal and even cute.

 _Easy, Hina. You only just met the guy._

Smiling to myself, I took the time to pull off my sweater now that I was back in a room with air conditioning. It was very warm today, after all, surprisingly warm for April. I kept wondering why the hell I bothered wearing a sweater if it was that warm out, which was already proven by the signs of sweat on my white undershirt.

Tossing the sweater aside, I plopped down onto the chair next to my study desk. It was indeed quite a day, after all, and school was going to begin tomorrow.

 _Finally, a second-year student. God knows that my first year at school was quite awkward. So many inquisitive stares from everybody, thinking that just because I looked cute meant that I wasn't smart. I can still remember the looks on all their faces when the advancement exam results were posted._

 _Just goes to show that you should never underestimate people based on appearance._

Smirking, I reached into the backpack that hung off the chair and pulled out the student ID I was given when I registered for classes a week or so. I looked at where I was to be, and it stated, "Classroom 2-A". If memory served, that homeroom was run by an alumni of the school, a Ms. Yukari Yoshida.

 _Yoshida-sensei... I heard that she was quite the talented gymnast when she was young. A pity I wasn't alive when she was a student. I would've loved to incorporate her style into my routine._

 ** _[Buzzing]_**

The phone in my pocket suddenly starting vibrating. Pulling it out, I noticed a familiar name listed on the screen: "Sakura Miyazaki". I soon hit the "Call" button and answered, "Hello?"

 _"_ _Hinaki! Hi!"_

"Oh hey there, Sa-chan. What's up?" I replied, greeting the voice of my little cousin. Sakura was to be to a first-year at the academy's senior high branch starting tomorrow.

 _"_ _Not much, cousin. I was wondering if you got to meet the new guy yet. Is he friendly?"_

"Actually, yes," I replied. "He seems pretty normal. And yes, he seems to be friendly."

 _"_ _Hmm... I see,"_ my cousin noted. _"And is that_ _ **all**_ _you have to say, Hinaki?"_

I paused for a moment and then, realizing what my cousin was subtly hinting at, I asked her, "Sakura... are you insinuating something?"

 _"_ _No! Nothing!"_

Despite the sweet tone in her voice, I wasn't fooled. But I didn't bother pressing further on that subject. Something else did come to mind, however.

"Actually, Sakura, how are you doing? Are you... sleeping well?"

Unsurprisingly, my cousin didn't respond right away, which made me believe that there was something bothering her.

"Do you still have nightmares about that night?" I gently asked.

Over the phone, I could hear Sakura sigh. _"Yeah... And no, I haven't been sleeping well. On top of that, something odd happened to some of my friends lately."_

"'Odd'? What do you mean?" I asked her, my interest piqued.

 _"_ _I'm not sure. All I know is that one day they were perfectly fine, and then the next day they were found collapsed and then hospitalized."_

"That is indeed odd. I do hope they recover," I told my cousin. "I just hope it's nothing life-threatening."

Silence. I could tell that Sakura was very rattled. And I couldn't blame her. And yet... there was something nagging at me about that description. But at the time I couldn't figure it out.

Dismissing the thought, I told my cousin, "Well, try not to worry. I'm sure they'll be fine. What's important is that you should get some sleep. School starts tomorrow."

A sigh on the other end. _"Okay, Hinaki. You be sure to get some sleep too."_

"I will, Sa-chan. Good night."

 _"_ _Night."_

And with that, the phone call ended. I placed the phone on the desk and sighed heavily. That odd thought was still nagging at me, yet I couldn't figure out what it was.

Eventually, I decided to simply sleep on it and went to bed myself. Whatever it was, I was sure that I would know what it was tomorrow.

* * *

 **Sunday, April 7, 2013 – Late Night / Daniel's Room**

* * *

 **Daniel's POV**

* * *

I placed my backpack on the floor as I took in my surroundings. It was pretty spacious for a dormitory room.

There was a bed, a sofa, and a study desk as well as a work table. Not to mention my belongings were indeed all unpacked and set up, the suitcases that once held my clothes neatly placed in the closet. It definitely had that "good home" feel to it.

 _How thoughtful of the school staff... Speaking of which, school starts tomorrow. I better get some sleep._

As I headed to my desk, I took off my shades and stared into the mirror, looking at my own tired face. The flight here was really long, and it was getting really late. I could tell by how tired my eyes looked.

 _My eyes... They definitely look different now. Must be due to the shock..._

Before "it" happened, my eyes were once colored blue. And they were a lot more focused. However, the way they looked these days, that really creepy red look... they were almost lifeless. A rather apt way of describing them, if I have to be frank about it.

Ever since "it" happened... I felt as if the very life and warmth in my body... turned into an icy cold that no person would normally be able to tolerate.

I literally felt dead inside.

 _Snap out of it, Daniel. You're 17 years old, for God's sake. You have to start acting like an adult, and become independent._

 _Then again, that's easier said than done... After all, nothing can take back what happened. Nothing. ...Even if you manage to come back from the dead._

 _Even then... no one else can understand that feeling. Isn't that why you left in the first place...?_

I was really starting to feel tired at that point. Tomorrow, my school life would begin anew. As such, I wasn't sure what to expect from that point onward. The only thing I could do... was to wait and see what tomorrow would bring.

 _My new home..._

 _Mom... Dad... Olivia..._

It was then that I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 ** _...I guess I better explain myself. The reason why I moved here... And why I mentioned to myself that I "came back from the dead"..._**

 ** _The thing is... it's true. All of it. I'm an orphan due to my parents dying three months ago. And worse, I was there the night they died and I almost joined them. In fact, the truth of the matter is that I didn't just get hurt very badly in the accident._**

 ** _I did indeed "die" that night, and then I was brought back despite all odds. I can remember it vividly as if it was only yesterday..._**

* * *

 ** _I wasn't sure how I got out of the wreckage, but I was on the ground and leaning against a rather large rock, breathing erratically. Noticing my hand clutched against my chest, I raised it... and saw blood. My blood. My vision was very bad, most likely due to my left eye swollen shut. My right leg felt broken, and I couldn't feel my left leg at all. In the midst of what happened before I was discovered, I was on the verge of passing out from shock._**

 ** _It was then that I barely heard a voice calling out to me: a voice that I couldn't determine. I couldn't even tell whether it was a boy or girl that called out to me. What made it worse was... I couldn't even see them._**

 ** _"_** ** _Hey! Hey! Are you all right?! Can you hear me?! Please wake up!" They kept talking and shaking me, trying to get a reaction out of me. But I may as well have been utterly paralyzed._**

 ** _Nevertheless, they were still constantly trying to get me to wake up, but I couldn't respond to their words. After all, I was only barely able to make out what was happening around me._**

 ** _The fire from the wrecked car was intense, and yet I felt cold. Colder than the snow that was falling. I could still remember the feeling of my blood turning cold and my senses dulling. Then, I couldn't see the person trying to help me anymore. My vision had blacked out completely, and I heard nothing else from them. They had most likely run off to get help or something._**

 ** _I wasn't sure how much longer had passed since that last moment, and I couldn't even feel anything beneath my neck. I briefly wondered if that was what death felt like. But just as I lost consciousness, I heard another voice._**

 ** _"_** ** _What the hell?! Can you hear me?! Are you all right?!" I then barely heard them yelling into what I presumed was a cell phone. No doubt they were also calling for help._**

 ** _"_** ** _Hello! 911! There's been an accident! One young male is badly injured! I need an ambulance at this location,_** **now!** ** _"_**

 ** _That was the last thing I heard before the darkness claimed my consciousness. I was more scared than at any other point in my life. I was... going to die._**

* * *

 **Monday, April 8, 2013 – Before Dawn / Daniel's Room**

* * *

 **Daniel's POV**

* * *

 **"** **NO!"**

I sat up bolt upright, gasping and in a cold sweat. Frantically looking around and panicking, I was a little confused and disoriented. After a while, I realized where I was.

A dormitory room. My room. My room at Kanetsugu Dormitory in Shinjima City. Following that realization, I managed to calm myself down, my heartbeat slowing down to a more normal pace.

That nightmare... It was a recurring nightmare for the past few months. Ever since they died, my nights were plagued by it...

 _The same nightmare, night after night. I shouldn't even be alive right now, let alone be dreaming it. Even worse, I can still remember the sensations I felt..._

I let out a long, deep sigh. Looking towards the window, I noticed that it was still dark. According to the clock on my phone, it was still 4:00 in the morning.

"Ugh... Can I even get back to sleep at this rate? I'm worried that I'll end up missing my first day of school. And wouldn't that just be swell?"

 ** _*knock knock*_**

A sudden knocking on my door spooked me even more.

"Who is it?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"Senpai, it's me. Are you all right? I heard a scream."

 _Suzuki..._

"Uh, yeah. I'm okay. Just had a bad dream," I replied.

Silence followed, and then she replied, "You sure?"

I paused before I could give an answer. It really didn't feel right to lie to her at this rate. I didn't want to give her the wrong impression.

"Actually, no, I'm not. Um, can we talk downstairs?"

After a while, I heard her sigh from behind the door.

"Sure. Don't keep me waiting."

I then heard her footsteps fading away as she walked off, presumably towards the ground floor. After some stumbling out of an unfamiliar bed, I made my way to the door.

I briefly debated whether or not to change out of my pajamas before deciding against it. We were all sleeping under the same roof; no reason to be that embarrassed. And so, I walked down the hallway towards the stairs, making my way towards the lounge.

When I got downstairs to the lounge area, I spotted Suzuki at the dining room table, preparing breakfast for herself and presumably me. It was rather kind of her. She hadn't noticed me yet. I noticed that she was in her school uniform: a red skirt, an unbuttoned pink blazer with the school emblem on the front and a Roman numeral "II" on the lapel, and a white dress shirt. For her footwear, she was wearing black knee-high socks and red sneakers.

In a nutshell, she looked cute in her uniform.

"Hm?"

Upon finally noticing me, Suzuki nodded at me and waved.

"Hey there, Senpai."

"Good morning, Suzuki," I said in a rather flat way.

"What's wrong? Not a morning person?"

I shook my head. "No, not really. Didn't get a good amount of sleep."

Suzuki nodded. "I can tell. Me, I have no qualms about waking up early. You know what they say about cats and birds."

She then frowned a bit and then looked at me again, a half-smile on her face.

"You know, Senpai, there's no need to be formal. If you want, we can be on first name basis. Or you can call me 'Hina'. All my friends do so."

"Okay," I nodded. "'Hina' it is."

So after a while, I joined her at the table, the two of us having cereal and milk. A rather basic breakfast, but at least it was something. Even so, it still felt strange to me, eating in a dining room that was not my own. I didn't mention that I'd rather be referred to just by my given name instead of "Senpai", though. It would've been rude between us senpai and kohai if we did that on a regular basis... unless we were really close.

 _I'm thinking too much about this. God, this feels so weird. I'm so used to eating in my own home, in my own country. Now, though, I'm in a completely unfamiliar setting... with completely unfamiliar people. I hope I didn't make a mistake in coming here..._

"So... looking forward to your first day of school?"

Having Hina's voice shake me out of my own silent musings, I turned to her and grimaced a little. She was clearly trying to make small talk.

"...Maybe. This is a new experience, going to a foreign school. I just hope that I can fit in."

"I'm sure you will," she said. "Like I said, just mind what you do and you'll do fine."

I nodded in response as I continued to eat my breakfast. Despite my earlier misgivings, I somehow felt calm. In retrospect, this was no different from eating at home, except I was doing so with someone I had only just met yesterday. Hinata Suzuki was an interesting person just based on my initial impression. She didn't seem to let much of anything bother her. A boundless ball of positivity. But I did notice that she had a slight temper based on her response to Miyazaki's good-natured teasing. It only served to make her more adorable.

 _I wonder, though. Given her upbeat personality, I find it weird that she'd be living here, in a dorm meant for special students. Maybe there's more to her and the others than I thought..._

"Senpai...?"

"...Huh?!"

When I looked up, I was greeted with Hina's worried expression.

"You look pale. Are you still rattled from that nightmare of yours?"

Trying to reassure her, I waved it off. "I... I'm fine. Really, I am."

However, I could tell that she didn't buy it, as evidenced by her face now changing to a serious expression. All traces of her usual cheerful personality now suddenly vanished.

"I doubt it," she said firmly, and with a surprising strength and seriousness. "If you were fine, you wouldn't have agreed to talk about it down here."

 _She's got me there..._

"You're right," I admitted. "Yeah, I did have a nightmare. It's not a big deal, though. I mean, people have them all the time."

She shook her head. "I don't buy it. It was clearly a really bad nightmare. I can tell that you've had them, and for a very long time."

"How could you tell?"

She looked away as she replied. "I know from experience. Because I'll have you know, I've had my share of bad nightmares. Very, VERY bad nightmares."

I stared at her with a look of concern. "Is that so?"

She nodded. "I don't know exactly what you were dreaming about... but it was obviously horrible. I could tell by that scream."

I frowned at that, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

"You seem very concerned for someone you just met," I pointed out as I looked away.

Hina shrugged. "It's just who I am. When I see people hurting, I want to help them. All the same, I just want you to know that it does worry me."

As she continued, she put her slender right hand over my left. And when I looked into her eyes, I saw not the eyes of a child, but the eyes of a hardened woman. The eyes of a woman who's seen her fair share of tragedy. And I realized that my initial impression may have been incorrect.

"Look, I'm not asking for you to share the details, Senpai. I'm just letting you know that if things are bothering you, don't hesitate to talk to us. We're friends now, remember?"

"Hina..."

Words couldn't describe what had just occurred. Hina, despite her young age, was rather mature at that moment. I could tell at a glance that she knew what she was talking about. I felt genuinely touched by her kindness.

 _There's definitely more to her than she lets on. I think we're going to be really good friends._

"I'll... keep that in mind. Thank you."

She then smiled. "You're welcome."

After that rather heartwarming talk, we eventually finished eating in silence as I mulled over what we had just discussed. I had to concede that Hina was right. At some point, I'd have to tell her and the others if things were truly bothering me. Right now, however, I felt that it was too soon. After all, it was only my second day here in Japan. I'd have to take it slow.

"Well, I better get back to my room. I need to take a shower, take a brief nap, and get ready for school."

Hina nodded in understanding. "Okay. Try not to sleep too late, Senpai."

I smiled at her as I headed back to the stairs, but before ascending them, I turned back to Hina.

"Hey, Hina."

"Yes?"

My smile grew a little wider. "Thanks for the talk. I needed it."

She smiled back. "Anytime, Senpai."

Nodding towards her, I went up the stairs. Ten minutes later, after taking a much-needed shower, I returned to my room and opened my closet to retrieve my school uniform. A navy-blue blazer, matching vest and pants, a white dress shirt, and a black tie. The standard uniform for the male students.

 _I never had to wear a school uniform before, but it's like putting on formal wear when dining out or something. Either that, or going to a funeral..._

After some deliberation, and knowing that the academy was lenient with the dress code, I left the vest and dress shirt in the closet and grabbed my hoodie. It was a gift I received back in my old home when I turned 17. It was my favorite one, thus why I kept it with me for the move here.

 _...I wonder when those damn nightmares will eventually end..._

I didn't have an answer, and neither did the room itself nor the mirror I'd stared into earlier. As I put on my blazer over my hoodie, I laid down back onto my bed to take a nap before school. Talking with Hina really helped after what I had to deal with.

* * *

 **Monday, April 8, 2013 – Early Morning / Daniel's Room**

* * *

 **Daniel's POV**

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Senpai, wake up! We're gonna be late!"_**

I awoke with a start upon hearing Hina's words behind the door. It took me an instant to realize what she meant, and another to check my clock. It was almost 8:00 a.m.

 _How did she not notice the time?! And why didn't she wake me up earlier?!_

I quickly ran to the door and opened it, and Hina was there with her hair slightly unkempt and untied. She was fiddling with her hair bands as she paced back and forth before noticing me.

"Hina, why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"Sorry. I was reading some shoujo manga in my room and before I knew it, it was already dawn. I checked on Kimiko-senpai and Daisuke, but they seemed to already head for the campus."

I groaned as I facepalmed, hard. "What happened to waking up early? I think the cat caught _herself_ napping."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "It's also because I got carried away from earlier when I noticed that you were looking gloomy."

I had to smile a little at that.

"Still, thanks for letting me know that you're concerned."

"No problem," she replied. "Anyway, if we hurry, we can catch up to them! Come on!"

That settled it. I grabbed my bag and headed out with Hina.

...Well, more like raced her over there.

* * *

 **To Be Continued in "Chapter 2: The First Day of School"**


End file.
